Faster Than a Kiss
by LynMcCallum
Summary: Pretty much follows the plot but with own characters instead so hope you like it  .


Prologue

The noise of the bar could still be heard in the back alley between the bar and the neighbouring patisserie shop. The city lights could be vaguely seen in the alley and Eru gave a deep sigh as she heaved the two bags of rubbish she had in her hands into the large bins that was kept in the alley.

"Eru-nee!" a small child squealed as he carried a small box of trash in his dainty hands. Eru noticed in amusement that the young 5 year old child had extremely tousled red hair that seemed to spike in all direction. He ran towards her with tiny steps as he held out the trash for her.

"Thank you Kyo-chan," she beamed as she blew a strand of coppery hair that also seem golden, orange and red at the same time. To inspect the colour of her hair was like watching the sun set or rise and trying to list the different colours. Eru took the rubbish from him and dumped it into the bin before taking his hand and leading him back into the bar. She was thankful that the manager had been kind enough to allow the young child to stay with her during her shift that day. She remembered how worried she was when she was searching for him all over the town earlier that day.

Kyo and Eru had belonged to an orphanage. Eru had lost her parents ten years ago when she was only six and Kyo had lost his parents two years ago. During those two years, Eru had become like a sister to him and they became inseparable. Then something they didn't expect happened yesterday. One of the owners of the orphanage informed her that Kyo was about to be adopted because a family had shown great interest in Kyo. Unbeknownst to Eru and the owner, Kyo had been standing at the door and had run away after hearing that he was to be separated from Eru.

Eru had spent almost the entire Saturday searching for him and eventually she managed to find him hiding in the woods near a park around three miles from the orphanage. After hearing his plea, she couldn't help but take him with her to her work place at the bar as a waitress and an occasional singer and performer on the stage. Thankfully, her manager understood and allowed Kyo to stay with her for the evening but he made it clear that it was a one off and that it wouldn't happen again.

In truth, Eru didn't want to be separated from Kyo any more than he did. But she couldn't voice it because she felt that it would be too foolish for her to speak out her emotions. Kyo deserved a home that would treat him well. She couldn't take care of him. She was barely managing to afford school and help support the orphanage. Even with all of the work that she did in and out of school, she made barely enough. She didn't have the right to step between Kyo and a possible happy life. Eru couldn't do that to him, she loved the young boy too much.

That night, Eru lied to the orphanage saying that she was staying at a friend's house from school and that she still hadn't managed to find Kyo. What the pair had really planned was to sneak into her high school and spend the night in the nurse's office where there were beds. Luckily, because Eru had worked at the school for so long, she had a copy of the master key so getting into the classrooms was not a hard task at all. It was the journey in the late night between the bar and the school that was the hardest. Barely any buses passed by her school area at such a late hour and so the pair had to walk. Sensing that Kyo was feeling incredibly tired and somewhat hungry, she bought him a few snacks to keep with him in hopes that it would sustain him until they got to the school.

Along the way as they were nearing the school, it was already past twelve o'clock. By now Eru was carrying Kyo on her back and he had fallen fast asleep. She couldn't help but think that he was incredibly cute as he slept and a pang struck her heart as she remembered that she had to take him back to the orphanage. Because there was no way that she could support him. She could barely support herself without the help of the orphanage, let alone two people.

"Hey, what have we got here? A cute little girl with a kid on her back," she heard a voice call out. Having spent so long working in a bar, she could recognise whether someone was drunk or not simply from the tone of voice someone used. It was obvious to her that the man was hopelessly drunk. "Would you like a hand with that kid?"

Kyo stirred having heard the loud man's voice and Eru felt him start to wake up.

"Kyo-chan, listen to me carefully," she whispered so that the man approaching her from behind couldn't hear. "I'm going to let you down and you see my school?"

"Yes," the child whispered fearfully.

"I want you to run as fast as you can and get to safety okay? Can you do this for me Kyo-chan?"

"But Eru-nee I can't leave you on your own with that scary man!"

"I will take care of myself Kyo-chan. I'm your invincible sister right? I won't get beaten by someone like him."

"But -"

"Please be safe for me Kyo-chan." Eru pleaded softly and Kyo felt that he had no choice but to listen to her.

As soon as Kyo felt his feet touch the ground, he sped off towards the school as fast as he could. Eru had let him off her back just in time because a heartbeat later she felt the man's hand close around her arm. Her breath hitched in momentary fear. It would've been irrational for her not to have felt fear when it was the dead of night and there would be no one else to help her in case she couldn't take this man down on her own. She could already feel the hard day's work bearing down on her and she was feeling more tired than ever. But she couldn't let that show, nor could she let it get to her. She had to remain strong in order to return to Kyo's side safely.

"Well now, one of them has run away," the man sneared. "Did you tell the little boy to run girlie?"

"What do you want ya old geyser? I'm not in the mood to talk to men like you." Eru snapped and wrenched her arm away from his grip easily.

"Well now, there's no need for such language is there girlie? I'm merely going to show you a good time."

"A good time? I highly doubt it," she scoffed and tried to step away from him but he grabbed her again and this time more firmly. She retaliated and punched him as hard as she could but she misjudged her angle and didn't manage to knock him out. Instead, she made him angry. And anger was not a pleasant emotion, especially not when alcohol was involved.

"You bitch!" he shouted and smacked her across the face. She felt her vision blur as she crumbled to the ground and she covered her cheek with a hand as she tried to stand and run. Eru didn't manage to get far because the man suddenly had a fistful of her hair and wrenched her back towards him. She couldn't help yelping in pain and fell backwards into him. She was about to scream again when he suddenly shoved his tie into her mouth, effectively gagging her. "Not so tough are you?"

Anger coursed through her and she bucked throwing him off of her. To her horror, a few more men appeared seemingly from nowhere because it was so dark so she hadn't noticed them at all.

"Aw man, you're not planning on keeping her all to yourself are you?" another man asked as he gave her a leering smile which had her flinching in awareness.

"Yeah man, we paid for the drinks tonight so you've got to share," the third one laughed.

Eru cursed under her breath and before the first man could lunge for her again, she couched down slightly and thrust her fist out and up so that she knocked him in the stomach and he crumbled to the ground wheezing for breath. She vaulted over the second man as he ran at her and when she was back on her feet she span around and kicked the side of his head sending him tumbling to the floor. She was holding up quite well with the two of the men when all of a sudden she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head and she crumbled to the ground. Looking up, she saw the first drunk man holding up a smashed bottle and realised that he had broken the bottle on her head. Two men held her down and she struggled in vain as the third man began to undress her.

"NO!" the four of them heard a voice scream and before any of them realised it, the men were suddenly being attacked by bouncy balls and origami being thrown at a rapid speed. "Leave Eru-nee alone!"

"What the hell?"

"Who is that midget punk?"

"I don't care, just get rid of him."

Fear rose in her as one of the men approached Kyo and picked him up mercilessly. "No!" she screamed and lurched up throwing her two attackers to the side and lunged at the man holding Kyo. The three of them tumbled to the floor and she shouted for him to run. She got hit again and this time she was sent skidding along the concrete path and she could feel the burn on her arms and legs. Her eyes widened as the man standing over Kyo took out a knife and she dashed forward and grabbed hold of her – in a manner of speaking – brother and flipped with the small child in her arms. She felt her wrist land on an awkward angle as she flipped away from the attacker and she bit back a cry when she felt something slash deeply across her back. Eru held Kyo in her arms protectively as the pair of them stared fearfully at the approaching three attackers.

Just as the three of them reached her, they were suddenly knocked down by kicks and punches. Eru couldn't believe her eyes or luck. They were saved. Kyo would be safe.

"Are you okay Souma-san?" their black haired saviour asked with genuine concern. Eru couldn't understand why or how he knew her name but all she could do was nod.

"Will you please make sure nothing happens to Kyo-chan?" she pleaded just as she fell into unconsciousness. Her body fell sideways and before she could harm herself any further, Senri gently but firmly grabbed her arm and lifted her up gently.

"No! Don't hurt Eru-nee!" Kyo cried with tears streaming down his cheeks and punched at Senri's leg as hard as he could.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt Souma-san," he told the small child with a soothing voice. "Are you able to walk? My car is just around the corner."

"Are you going to keep her safe nii-san?" Kyo asked with a pleading tone.

"Yes." The sincerity in Senri's voice seemed to have convinced the young child enough because he stopped struggling and followed him to the car. Senri gently placed Eru in the back seats and Kyo climbed into the back immediately as he cried over his sister. Senri couldn't believe his eyes at first when he was driving to the school and saw her by chance being attacked by those drunken fools. He could remember her vividly as the student who never attended homeroom and had often fallen asleep during class. Senri had heard many stories about her and he had heard stories about her background too. He had jumped out of his car so quickly that he even left the engine running and the door open as he jumped into the scene and knocked out all three men with one hit. It was at times like these that he was thankful for his old delinquent days.

The drive to his home took only ten minutes and he was sure to be careful with her and who might be watching as he carried her back to his apartment. As soon as he laid her down on a futon in his room, her eyes shot open which startled them both. She lashed out instinctively and he reacted instinctively by grabbing her hands and holding them down in front of her so that she was sitting on her feet and her hands were planted firmly on her knees.

"Eru-nee!" Kyo screamed in glee and instantly dropped the glass of water that Senri had asked the young child to get. Kyo launched himself onto her and clung around her waist. She couldn't help but yelp in pain and Kyo pulled back. His eyes widened considerably when he saw the blood that was on his hands. "Eru-nee?"

"Don't worry about it Kyo-chan, it's just a scratch. Nothing serious." Eru reassured him when she saw the fear beginning to enter his eyes.

"Promise? Promise that you won't leave me like mommy and daddy did."

"I promise I won't leave like your mommy and daddy did." Eru hugged him close to her chest and Senri watched with a soft smile on his face.

"Souma-san, I think that you should take a shower as soon as possible and if you wouldn't mind, I would like to inspect your wound to make sure that it doesn't become infected." Senri cut in.

"Oh yes, thanks for your help earlier ojisan," she smiled. "If it weren't for you, I think that we would've been a goner."

"When I saw you two, I couldn't just drive past without doing something."

"Correction, you could've, but you didn't," she shook her head. "Would you like to look at the wound before I bathe? Or after?"

"Before, if you don't mind."

"Okay…" she nodded uncertainly. She still wasn't sure whether she could trust him or not, but somehow, she felt safe in that place. She felt save with him. "Um… ano… where are we?"

"You're in my apartment which is ten minutes drive away from your school Souma-san."

"How do you know my name?" she asked in surprise. Although she could vaguely recognise him, she couldn't recall meeting him.

Senri watched her for a moment and realised that she really had no idea that he was her homeroom teacher. "I saw your name tag on your bag," he lied easily. He decided that it would be more entertaining to see her reaction when she discovered that he was actually her teacher. "Do you think that you'll be able to lift her arms above your head?"

"Um…" she tried, and when the pain stabbed through her, she gave up and shook her head.

"Give me a moment while I go get a pair of scissors." Senri told her and stood up to walk to his draws. He took out a pair of scissors and gestured for her to turn around. The entire time Kyo and Eru watched each other and she sent him reassuring smiles so that he wouldn't be too scared. She flinched visibly as she felt the cold metal against the skin of her back as he cut away her shirt in a professional manner. So far, he didn't even seem conscious that she was a teenage girl in his apartment. So far, all he seemed concerned about was her wellbeing. She cringed further when she felt him probing her back with a tender touch. She moaned slightly in pain as he applied disinfectant and all the while she sat with her legs tucked beneath her. "Alright, done," he declared with a cheerful voice and clapped his hands together. "And now… here's a towel and although it might be too large, here's some clothes you could stay in for the night."

"Ano… are you sure that this is alright? Is it really alright for me to stay here for the night?" Eru asked uncertainly. Although he hadn't said it directly, from the sounds of things, it was what he was implying.

"Yes Souma-san, I cannot send you back out into the dark. What kind of an irresponsible adult would I be if I were to do that?" he arched his brows at her as he handed both her and Kyo a towel and a change of clothes. "Now, the bathroom is over here," he showed them and even opened the door for them. "Please remember to lock the door when you've gone in and feel free to spend as long as you need in there."

"Arigatou…"

"My name is Koshiro Senri," he told her when he sensed that she wanted to know his name.

"Arigatou Koshiro-san," she gave a breath taking smile and he had the urge to gather her in his arms to reassure her that everything would be okay. But he managed to hold himself back and stepped away before he did anything foolish. In truth, he had noticed her for a while now around school. He had often seen her working diligently no matter how ill she might get sometimes. He truly admired her for her perseverance.

"You have no idea how glad I am to know that you're okay Kyo-chan." Eru whispered as she grabbed the small boy for a tight hug. "When I saw that man approach you, I was so scared."

"Please don't ever leave me Eru-nee. Don't leave me."

"I'll always protect you Kyo-chan. I promise." Eru smiled lovingly as she kissed his forehead. "Now I think that we should get into the bath don't you think?"

"Bath!" Kyo squealed in delight and stripped his clothes off. Eru giggled for a moment before doing the same herself and took a shower and washed her body before getting into the steamy bath. She practically groaned in comfort as she lowered herself into the bath. The water soothed her tense muscles instantly and she felt relaxed. Although she felt the slight pain on her back because of the gash the man made, she pushed the pain aside and simply enjoyed the feeling of the warm water against her skin. "Eru-nee, are you okay? Does your back hurt a lot?" he asked worriedly as he swivelled around in the bath so that he sat behind her.

"Don't worry about it Kyo-chan, something like this is nothing. It'll take a lot more to bring me down," she pretended to have a lot of muscle and smacked her arm to prove her strength.

"Just you wait Eru-nee! Soon I'll be taller and stronger than you and I'll protect you!" Kyo declared with a booming childish voice filled with sincerity.

"Well then I guess I'll have to protect you until then to make sure you can grow taller and stronger than me, don't I?" she laughed and splashed him playfully. Before long it turned into a full on water fight with both of them splashing at each other. Eventually, as the pair of them began to resemble prunes, she got out of the tub and lifted him out as well. She wrapped a towel around herself as she dried him and he clothed himself while she dried her own body and hair. Sorting through the clothes given to her, Senri had given her a vest top, a normal shirt and a pair of trousers which were far too long for her but luckily because of the elastic and the string, she managed to tie it securely around her hips. Kyo on the other hand, because he had run away from the orphanage, had prepared clothes with him so he was wearing his own clothes.

"Eru-nee looks so cute in those big clothes!" Kyo beamed innocently.

"I guess it is quite comfortable…" she commented in surprise. She casually dried her hair as she stepped out of the bathroom. She froze mid-step when she saw Senri lift his shirt above his head. Her mind blanked for a moment before her vision blurred and she fell backwards in shock and once again passed out.

"Souma-san!" Senri shouted and grabbed her before she hit anything.

"Sen-nii, do you like teasing Eru-nee?" Kyo asked sweetly when he noticed the smile the teacher wore.

"Well now Kyo-kun, shall I tell you a secret? But you'll have to keep it a secret from Souma-san." Senri winked at him as he gently picked the 17 year old up.

"Sen-nii, call Eru-nee anything but Souma-san. She always feels awkward if someone calls her that." Kyo told him as he followed the 24 year old to the bedroom.

"I actually know Eru-san from her school but she never attends my lessons so I don't think she recognises me." Senri admitted to the small child. Senri placed her onto the bed and Kyo climbed up so that he could curl up beside her.

"Sen-nii, what will happen now?" Kyo asked with a tired tone as he yawned and rubbed his eyes. "I don't want to leave Eru-nee. I don't want that new family to take me away from her…"

"New family?" Senri frowned before he remembered that Eru was from an orphanage therefore it was only logical that Kyo would probably be from the same orphanage since the pair seemed to be so close. "I don't know Kyo-kun but I will work something out to keep you two together."

"Really? You'll do that?" Kyo asked excitedly.

"I will try."

"Why do you like Eru-nee?"

"Because she helped me a lot at school even if she doesn't know it."

"Eru-nee does that a lot." Kyo laughed cutely.

"You should get some sleep Kyo-kun." Senri patted his head in a soothing gesture. "If anything happens, just shout and I'll come to your rescue."

"Really?"

"Yes, now sleep." Senri nodded and kissed his forehead.

"You seem really nice Sen-nii. I wish you could be my nii-chan…" Kyo commented innocently just as he drifted to sleep.

"Become his brother huh..." Senri murmured as he watched the pair briefly. An idea formed in his mind. The perfect yet completely risky plan that would make sure the pair of them could remain together. Silently he stepped out of the bedroom and headed into his study where he began his research on which orphanage Eru and Kyo were at. He read the condition required for adoption and once he was certain that he was legible to adopt Kyo, he made note of the address. Before he knew it, he'd fallen asleep at his desk while doing some marking.

Eru woke with a start when she heard the thud. Groggily she opened her eyes and took note of the unfamiliar surroundings. She noticed the somewhat male scent and the events of the night came rushing back to her. She sat up and slowly got out of bed so she wouldn't disturb Kyo and crept out of the bedroom which was bathed in moonlight, allowing her to see where she was going. Stepping out into the hallway, she could see light from one of the rooms and looking in she found Senri sleeping at the desk looking somewhat chilly. Hastily she headed back into the bedroom, guiltily fumbled around until she found some blankets before covering him with them. Eru closed his curtains and gently rested a hand on his hair. "Arigatou Koshiro-san," she whispered before getting back into bed.

The next morning she woke feeling more refreshed than ever even though she could still feel the pain in her back. She sat up and frowned when she saw that Kyo wasn't there beside her. Rubbing her eyes she climbed out of bed and followed the inviting scent of food. She was surprised to see both boys awake. Senri seemed to be cooking while Kyo helped set the table. A soft smile settled on her face as she saw that Kyo seemed to really like the man and she began to wonder if it would be possible for Senri to adopt Kyo. The young child seemed so happy around him, she was sure that he'd live well if he was raised by Senri.

"Ah! Eru-nee!" Kyo beamed when he saw her and ran to her immediately. "How're you feeling? Does your back hurt?"

"I'm feeling great Kyo-chan and my back doesn't hurt at all," she smiled and told the lie easily to not worry him. Senri being observant instantly caught her lie but didn't comment on it since he realised her intentions behind it.

"Good morning Eru-san!" Senri greeted her energetically. "I'm glad that you're feeling alright this morning."

"Thank you so much for letting us stay the night Koshiro-san." Eru smiled sweetly. To be honest, she was extremely surprised that he hadn't taken advantage of her in any way. She was a teenage girl and he was a grown man. From what she knew of society, any man provided with such an opportunity would take advantage. But she was glad that he was kind, because now there was someone she would feel safe to entrust Kyo to.

"No problem Eru-san. I hope you're hungry because breakfast is ready."

"Oh wow…" she breathed when the food was set out in front of her. She was so used to missing out breakfast because every morning she would have to leave extra early to help at the school. The most that she would have on a morning would be a tangerine. But in front her now was a bowl of miso soup, a small bowl of rice, fish and vegetables. "Thank you Koshiro-san."

"It's nothing," he shook his head as he sat down to eat.

During the meal, the trio shared a simple conversation talking about the weather and other things. Senri was careful not to bring up any serious conversation until he and Eru were alone.

"Sen-nii, do you have any paper and pens I could borrow?" Kyo asked as he helped carried the empty dishes from the table.

"Yes of course, there some in that draw over there with the red handle. Feel free to take what you need." Senri nodded.

"Thank you Sen-nii." Kyo beamed and hurried off out of the kitchen.

"Thank you so much for doing all of this Koshiro-san." Eru smiled as she took the plates from him. "Since you cooked, I'll wash up."

"Are you sure? I'd hate to make the guest do the chores."

"It's the least I could do," she shook her head.

"I hope you don't mind me asking Eru-san, but why were you out so late?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she gave a small smile. "I was about to break into the school for somewhere to spend the night. You see, I'd just finished work and Kyo-chan didn't want to go back to the orphanage. He's afraid that if he goes back, the family who decided to adopt him will come and take him away."

"Are you both from the orphanage?" Senri asked. Even though he already knew the answer, he had to ask or else she'd probably be suspicious of him.

"Yes," she nodded. "Koshiro-san. I want to ask you for a massive favour."

"What do you mean?"

"I know that this will probably be too much to ask of you but… could you please consider adopting Kyo-chan? I don't think I've ever seen him warm up to someone so quickly and he seems to happy around you. I think that if anyone should take care of him, it would be you. I know that this is really completely out of the blue considering you don't even know us but do you think that you could consider it?" Eru asked him seriously with a mature tone. Senri was surprised for a moment by the way she spoke. At that moment, she didn't seem like a teenager at all, it was more like she was a grown up woman.

"And what about you Eru-san? Won't you be sad if you are separated from him?" he asked with equal seriousness.

"As long as I know that he's safe and content, it will be fine. And it's not like we'll never see each other again. Would I be right to say that this isn't that far from Fujimori High?"

"Yes you're right about that."

"Then hopefully, if you come to adopt him then with your permission I could come visit him almost regularly if I have the time after school."

"You will have school tomorrow right?" Senri asked her.

"Yes."

"Shall we talk about this later on in the day? Do you have anything planned for the rest of the day?"

"I have work later on but that's in the late morning."

"Then could I possibly ask you to look after the house while I head out for something? I'll bring home materials for dinner. What time will you need to leave and what time would you finish work?"

"I would need to leave by four and I won't finish until eleven."

"I will pick you up then. Where are you working?"

"Uh…"

"Eru-san?" he asked her expectantly.

"Really, it's alright, I could just take the bus back to the orphanage. It's what I've always done." She shook her head nervously. She didn't want him to think poorly of her because she worked in a bar as a waitress and occasional singer. "Since you have school tomorrow, why don't you stay here tonight as well and you can take your time deciding on what you really want to do?"

"I -" Before she could finish her sentence, the phone rang and so he had to answer.

Later, as he'd told her, he had to leave the house for a while and when he got back, she left for her job. At the end of her work, she planned to head back to the orphanage instead of Senri's house because she was still unsure about staying at a stranger's house. But when she saw him waiting for her, she panicked and ran away.

"Eru-san!" Senri chased after her. it wasn't until they reached an empty park that he finally caught her and held her in his arms. "Just wait a second. Tell the truth, you really want to stay with Kyo-chan too don't you? You don't want to leave him anymore than he does because you're family to each other."

Tears filled her eyes and she crumbled straight away feeling all her strength leave her instantly. "Yes, yes that's what I want! But that's not possible is it?"

"Yes it is Eru-san," he soothed her. "Just stay at my place and I'll adopt him as well."

"The orphanage isn't just going to let me live at a stranger's house. You can't adopt me since I'm too old and the only other option would be for you to marry me."

"I've realised that." Senri told her.

She wasn't sure why, but the blunt way he replied made her extremely angry. "What? Are you saying that you're just going to marry me, adopt him and take care of both of us? Don't joke with me!" she shouted.

Senri felt his temper rise suddenly too and he shouted back at her. "I'm not joking! That's exactly what I planned when I thought about it last night and I've already adopted him and spoken with the orphanage about taking you as my wife!"

"You… you did what?" she screamed incredulously.

"I'm going to marry you," he told her more calmly. "All you need to do is sign the documents and give your consent. Then we'll be husband and wife."

"We'll be…" she froze before she could finish. She was in total shock he realised so he simply picked her up and took her back to his car. "We'll be… we'll be what?" she squealed.

"I hope you don't mind but you want to stay with him right? The only way for the both of you to become a real family is if I marry you and adopt him so I went out this morning to visit your orphanage to sort things out. They've already given their consent so all that's left is your decision." Senri explained.

"Are you crazy? You barely know me! No… you don't even know me! Why would you do something so rash?"

"It's not rash. I gave a lot of thought to this." Senri smiled softly. He refrained from mentioning that he'd seen her almost every day at school. He would always see her working so vigilantly no matter how tired she was. There had been many times when he'd catch her sleeping outside of his office beneath a tree. There was also that one time when she'd collapsed during P.E. and he'd acted before he thought rationally and carried her to the infirmary.

"Why are you doing this? You barely know me."

"I do know you, you just don't seem to remember me," he pouted and she arched her brows.

"Are you pouting? You are aren't you?" she giggled. "That's so cute."

"You can't call a grown man cute Eru-san."

"Sure I can, I just did," she grinned. "So, what're the conditions?"

"I'll get to that when we get home."

Eru found herself feeling ecstatic at the thought of having a home. It was something she hadn't felt for such a long time and even better, it was a home shared with Kyo… "Thank you so much Koshiro-san," she smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Wait… you didn't leave Kyo-chan at home on his own did you?"

"No Eru-san, wait… slow down!" Senri shouted as she ran out of the car before it even stopped properly. "Idiot," he cursed under his breath as he gunned the engine and locked the car. "Eru-san!" he shouted.

"Eru-nee! Welcome home!" Kyo cheered and threw his arms around her neck when she crouched down.

"Kyo-chan!" she hugged him tight and supported him on her hip as she stood and he wrapped his small legs around her waist.

"Eru-nee, we've finally got a home together. We won't be separated…" Kyo sniffed into her shoulder. "We have a home!"

"Yes Kyo-chan, we've finally got a home." Eru smiled into his hair and she felt tears fall.

"Ah so you're the cute little jo-chan Ri-kun often praises," a new voice said and she felt a hand lift her head up and soft fingers wiped away her tears.

"You must have the wrong girl in mind ojisan…" Eru commented awkwardly.

"Nope, you must be the same jo-chan Ri-kun talks about. Same long crazy hair, cute and young," he winked.

"Sorry but who are you?" Eru asked warily as she was tugged into a hug by the red haired stranger.

"Naru, please don't harass her." Senri warned him and pulled his arm away from her. "Eru-san, this is Fujiwara Narumi. He's one of the teachers at the primary school Kyo-chan goes to. Naru will help us keep the secret and help take care of him."

"Since I'm your neighbour, it'll make things easier for the pair of you."

"Thank you Fujiwara-sensei."

"Just Naru would be fine."

"Naru-sensei," she compromised.

"Alright," he sighed. "Would you object to being called Eru-chan?"

"Not at all," she shook her head.

"Shall we go inside?" Senri suggested. "Thanks for the help Naru. Remember to come pick Kyo-kun up tomorrow morning."

"Are you sure you don't want me to take him tonight so you can be alone with your cute little wife?"

"Are you sure you don't want to go before I kill you?" Senri gave his friend a glare without letting the two kids see.

"Joking, I was just joking!" Narumi sweat dropped and hastily ran to Eru and Kyo. "Well then jo-chan and Kyo-kun, I will see you both in the morning," he smiled and gave both a quick hug before heading into his apartment which was just next door.

"Eru-san?" Senri gestured at the opened door and she got in. "Welcome home Eru-san," he smiled.

"Arigatou Koshiro-san," she beamed. She followed him into the kitchen to the table where there were various documents laid out. "Are these the things that I need to give consent to and sign?"

"Yes, please make sure you read through them carefully." Senri nodded.

Eru put Kyo down but he still clung to her as they both sat down on the cushion. She began flicking through the pages and made sure to even read the small print. When she was down she turned to Senri. "Could I borrow a pen please?"

"Of course," he handed her one as she held her hand out. She signed the documents and handed them to her. "Well then, I guess it's legal now. We're officially husband a wife!" he cheered and gave her a gentle smile.

"So, the conditions?"

"Well…" Senri grinned mischievously.


End file.
